legislature

Farmers and ranchers from across the state met with Governor David Ige and legislators today in an attempt to revive a contentious water rights bill. The group says without House Bill 1326, hundreds of Hawaiʻi’s farmers and ranchers would lose their access to water at the end of the year.

In some states, one political party dominates even without a lift from gerrymandering. The most extreme examples are Hawaiʻi, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, all of which have legislatures controlled by Democrats.

The board of directors for the Thirty Meter Telescope is meeting this week to decide whether to extend its April deadline. More time would allow legal proceedings to play out but none of that may matter after today’s floor vote in the state Senate. HPR’s Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi reports.

There are now more payday loan stores in Hawaiʻi than there are 7-11s. The state’s growing demand for payday loans is no surprise given the high cost of living in the islands. But with interest rates as high as 459 percent, lawmakers are demanding greater regulation. HPR’s Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi has this story.

The State Legislature took up the issue of Homelessness as its top priority at the beginning of this year’s session. And they have completed their budget recommendations for final approval by the full House and Senate. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

More than 40 percent of Hawai’i’s homeless live unsheltered on neighborhood streets, parks, beaches or vacant properties. But the state does not plan to spend more on shelters for this population. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

There are a handful of bills dealing with industrial hemp before the state legislature this session. Some lawmakers are looking at ways to help 675 Maui sugar workers who are scheduled to lose their jobs at the end of the year. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

The Dengue fever outbreak is currently grabbing all of the headlines in Hawai’i. But as HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports there’s a serious tropical disease that has no known cure, has spread across the state and has killed two since 2011.

The 2016 legislative session is a little more than one month away and a number of lawmakers say homelessness will likely take center stage. But other issues will be considered again next year, including banning ivory sales in Hawai’i. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

Hawai’i’s healthcare insurance portal is under the gun by the federal government to fix its 8-million dollar funding shortfall. State lawmakers were briefed today on the status of implementing the Affordable Care Act in the state. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

State lawmakers are considering a handful of bills aimed at reforming Hawai‘i’s prison system. One would create and fund a pilot program that would hire part time workers to make sure weekend visitation days are fully staffed. HPR’s Molly Solomon has more.

The end is near...of the 2014 session. Neal Milner is back to look at what the legislature wrought - and what's still up for discussion in conference. Time to check your list to see how much of it made it through.

State lawmakers began deliberations today on the state budget in a joint Senate-House conference committee. The largest state funding outlay – about one-third of total spending – goes to Hawai’i’s public school system. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

Autism is on the rise in the U-S and Hawai’i. The cost for local families and taxpayers … is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions and lawmakers are trying to address it. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

Very soon, bills still alive will cross over from each side of the Legislature. Today on Town Square, political analyst and social scientist, Neal Milner, looks at the second act of Session 2014 and what we might expect from it.

A State House Committee today passed 4 of the 7 bills introduced this session to restructure the Hawai’i Community Development Authority. This following a day-long hearing Saturday involving many Kaka’ako residents who wanted the state agency abolished. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

Tra-la it's May and the 2013 legislative session is over. Tonight, Beth-Ann and political anaylyst Neal Milner take one last look at the Lege and how well this session helped to move Hawaii into the future. The good, the bad and the maybe.